# ­xkcd thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [May 28, 2020, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574 "2020-05-28T00:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 84
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1662 "2022-09-10T17:12:09Z")
Isn’t there one very old star map that showed Uranus as a dim star, prior to its discovery by Herschell? Thought I read that one naked-eye observation had been noticed that way. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1663 "2022-09-10T20:47:18Z")
Minutephysics has done at least 2 other collabs with xkcd before: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2p_8gx-XHJo/maxresdefault.jpg "How To Go To Space (with XKCD!)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p_8gx-XHJo) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/r8xfzeD0ZK4/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Build a Lava Moat (with xkcd)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8xfzeD0ZK4) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1664 "2022-09-10T21:00:47Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Isn’t there one very old star map that showed Uranus as a dim star, prior to its discovery by Herschell? Thought I read that one naked-eye observation had been noticed that way. Would not be surprised, but have not heard of that. Possibly you’re misremembering Galileo recording Neptune as a background star in a couple of his observations of Jupiter. But that was through a telescope, albeit a small one. ---
**Author:** ![Erusiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6de8d8/32.png) [@Erusiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erusiel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1665 "2022-09-11T05:17:41Z")
In his star catalogue, John Flamsteed gave the name “34 Tauri” to what he thought was a star, but was actually Uranus. Wikipedia says the first time he spotted the object was in December 1690 (almost a century before Herschel’s discovery). He was probably using a telescope at the time, based on the other work he did. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1666 "2022-09-11T09:52:03Z")
Thank you! Pleased to know my quirky memory hadn’t made it up entirely, although it sounds like it wasn’t a naked eye observation. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1667 "2022-09-13T04:55:53Z")
> **[Rotation](https://xkcd.com/2671/)** > > It's okay, we can just feed the one-pixel image into an AI upscaler and recover the original image, or at least one that's just as cool. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1668 "2022-09-13T12:10:54Z")
I assume this is the place to discuss everything Randall Munroe, not _just_ the xkcd comic. Two of the more interesting people I know of sit down and have a conversation. > **[210 | Randall Munroe on Imagining What If…? – Sean Carroll](https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2022/09/12/210-randall-munroe-on-imagining-what-if/)** ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1669 "2022-09-13T18:27:10Z")
Ars Technica interview: > **[What If? 2 is here with even more serious answers to your weird questions](https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/what-if-2-is-here-with-even-more-serious-answers-to-your-weird-questions/)** > > Ars chats with xkcd creator Randall Munroe about his new book, What If? 2. Brian ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1670 "2022-09-13T22:00:02Z")
Special What if? 2 strip: > **[What If? 2 Flowchart](https://xkcd.com/2672/)** > > Don't worry, the dogs are all fine. That's actually kind of the problem. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1671 "2022-09-16T19:45:34Z")
> **[Cursed mRNA Cocktail](https://xkcd.com/2673/)** > > Serve one each to guests whose last cursed cocktail was more than 2 months ago. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1672 "2022-09-21T04:32:01Z")
> **[Everyday Carry](https://xkcd.com/2674/)** > > Someday I just know I'm going to encounter a problem that requires 500 flashlights and 700 knives with weird holes in them, and on that day I won't be caught unprepared. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1673 "2022-09-21T04:48:15Z")
I feel like the EDC thing petered out like a decade ago, but maybe I’m just not in the loop anymore. I used to frequent CandlePowerForums to keep up with the latest Luxeon emitter modules, but now… every cell phone has a decent high-power LED in it. And my ability to carry a knife around just became less and less convenient over time. The TSA even eventually caught on to my micro key-shaped multitool: [![](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61PmuC3iK7L._AC_SL1050_.jpg) ](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61PmuC3iK7L._AC_SL1050_.jpg) But maybe EDC is still booming and I just lost interest. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1674 "2022-09-21T21:51:48Z")
Ooh, what’s on that multitool? Not that I need another one: I already everyday carry a Leatherman, a Swiss Army knife, and a utility pen. But they’re fun to see. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1675 "2022-09-21T22:01:26Z")
Serrated knife, plain knife, Philips screwdriver, flathead screwdriver, eyeglass screwdriver, and bottle opener. Also useful as an awl and wire stripper. [Cheap at $7](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dream-Lifestyle-6-in-1-Multi-Functional-Keychain-Utility-Key-Multi-Tool-for-Keychain-Folding-Tool/418373275), so I wasn’t _too_ put out when the TSA seized mine, just annoyed. It’s only slightly larger than a plain key and clips nicely onto the keychain. And the screwdrivers can apply more torque than you might expect since the folding part can rotate out 90 degrees and act as a lever. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1676 "2022-09-22T01:33:32Z")
I have the exact same one. Not stopped by TSA yet. But I don’t fly much. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1677 "2022-09-22T08:01:19Z")
> **[Pilot Priority List](https://xkcd.com/2675/)** > > CELEBRATE: Serve passengers tiered cakes shaped like the airspace class diagram ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1678 "2022-09-22T14:02:38Z")
11. Fornicate Join the Mile High club ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1679 "2022-09-22T14:28:15Z")
**12. Masturbate** Handle the joystick ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1680 "2022-09-22T14:31:42Z")
1. **EXTERMINATE!** Join the Daleks. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574/1681 "2022-09-22T17:10:51Z")
1. Expropriate This is MY plane now! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=83) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-thread/854574.md?page=85)